Featured Startup: SOOD

(1) Describe your startup.
SOOD is a fashion design company created and founded in the Bay Area, CA. SOOD explores the concept of dualism and the contrast between light and dark. We’re about finding balance to elevate your style with a blend of maximalist forms and neutral tones. We’re here to inspire and introduce our take on classic pieces for your wardrobe.

(2) What inspired the creation of the startup?
SOOD was inspired by diverse backgrounds, architecture, asymmetry, and geometric patterns. It started as a scarf brand, where collaborated with local artists to create beautifully patterned scarves. As SOOD gained more momentum over the years, my team grew, and became a full-fledged clothing line from accessories to clothing.

(3) What differentiates your startup from the competition?
Our physical and digital communities are key for us to collaborate with unique artists, whether local or foreign, to create one-of-a-kind pieces. With people and community being a core value behind SOOD, we want to set the precedence of giving back.

(4) Who is the target market?
Our Target Market are millennials aged 25 – 35 aged in large metropolitan cities such as: San Francisco, Chicago, LA and New York.

(5) What stage are you at?
Our presence and growth has thus far been very organic and leans on digital ads via social channels like Facebook and Instagram. Within those channels, we are partnering with influencers to help market and boost our growth. Leveraging our network, we are collaborating and participating in giveaways with various organizations in the Bay Area to better our growth through word of mouth. We are in the process of seeking to enter into the physical market space in the Bay Area as well.

(6) What are some of the biggest challenges that your startup have had to overcome?
We launched SOOD this year with our scarves collection and recently launched the Edge Jewelry Collection. We are looking to launch our clothing collection next year and a new series of scarves.

(7) What is next for the startup?
SOOD started as a simple idea and the biggest challenge was finding the right team to help the idea come to fruition. Our team started to come together last year, when Marcella Denigris a Consultant and Creative Director joined and Raymond Hui, our Lead Engineer joined this year. We were able to really progress and motivate one another to launch the brand.

(8) Where would you like to be in the next 5 years?
We are looking to further grow our team, by finding an additional team member to help us with growth efforts. We are also looking for investment opportunities to aid us in our pursuit to launch our clothing series.

(9) Where would you like to be in the next 5 years?
I would like for us to be a well established brand and have our production/manufacturing supply chain nailed down completely.

(10) If you had to give one piece of advice to an up and coming startup what would it be?
I would say, be comfortable with not knowing and be open to the concept of learning as you go. There will be a lot of instances where you won’t know how to do something, but then you will need to do your research or reach out to folks and just figure it out. Sometimes the learning curve will include making mistakes, but as long as you are learning from your mistakes, then you are on the right path! So do not be disheartened, do not give up and keep at it to progress towards your goals